Comparative Study on Nutritional Value of Chinese and North American Wild Rice

The nutritional composition of Chinese wild rice [Zizania latifolia (Griseb) Turcz] from five lakes in China and North American wild rice (Zizania aquatica) from the United States of America and Canada was determined for comparison of nutritional value. The contents of moisture, protein, fat, ash and dietary fiber were similar (P>0.05), while iron, thiamin and vitamin E (tocopherol) contents of Chinese wild rice were higher than in North American wild rice samples (P<0.01, P<0.05). Methionine, zinc and riboflavin contents of North American wild rice samples were higher than in Chinese samples (P<0.01, P<0.05). Amino acid scores of Chinese, American and Canadian samples were 84, 82 and 8l, respectively. Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) of Chinese wild rice was 2.75 by rat assay, which is very high for a cereal.